The Urgent Affairs Court will issue its verdict regarding the validity of the Egyptian-Saudi maritime border agreement on Tiran and Sanafir islands in its upcoming session on 31 December, according to state media.

The case, known as the “Red Sea islands” case, has been the source of public controversy since April, after the Egyptian presidency announced the islands would return to the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia.

As opponents to the deal sued the government demanding its annulment, the case is mainly being examined by the Administrative Court at the State Council, which upheld the annulment through different trial stages.

The Administrative Court will issue a final verdict on 16 January, after hearing the government’s appeal to the annulment verdict it issued in June.

Meanwhile, the government also challenged the annulment before the Urgent Affairs Court, which ruled in its favour back in September.

Lawyers opposing the government pointed out that the court was not authorised to look into the case, arguing that lawsuits involving the government fall under the administrative judiciary’s authority.

Each party in the case submitted documents supporting their claims. On one hand, the government’s main argument is that the islands were Saudi Arabia’s and Egypt was in charge of protecting them during the war. On the other hand, opponents argued that since Egypt practised sovereignty over the islands for the past decades, it shall continue to do so.